When The Day Met The Night
by Daniisreallyreallywierd
Summary: Based on the song "When The Day Met The Night." The sun and the moon meet in a park in the middle of summer and find out they're not so different after all. Synlet. -Chapter Revision And Rewriting In Progress: Please Stand By-
1. When The Day Met The Night

AN: Sorry this took so long. I've been meaning to get this revised for a while. Old chapters will remain up until their revised counterpart replaces them. This story needs work, and I'm about to give it the work it really deserves. So... here we go again. Maybe it'll be better this time around. This was betaed by LoneWarrior2, who has many thanks from me. I don't own the Incredibles.

* * *

_When the moon fell in love with the sun_  
_All was golden in the sky_  
_All was golden when the day met the night_  
_  
-**When The Day Met The Night**_  
_Panic at the Disco_

After six long months of being confined to a hospital, Buddy Pine finally left. It was his choice, but it didn't really matter.

He was probably going to die.

The former villain had survived the incident with the plane, but just barely. As Mirage's last act before leaving, she had gotten him to a hospital. He had suffered second-degree burns from the explosion, as well as severe wounds from the blades. The hospital was expected to be his final resting place. Instead, it was simply where he stayed comatose for three months. Buddy could remember the day he'd woken up clearly. His first thought had been that he wished he hadn't come to after all. There was overwhelming pain all over and he wanted to be away from those doctors and-

Buddy didn't like hospitals. After three months, no real progress had been made, so he'd left. What was there left to do, to live for? Searching for a place to die seemed like a better idea than wallowing in his angst. The doctor's final words rang clearly in his mind.

_"I'm sorry, Mr. Pine, but there's nothing more we can do for you."_

* * *

Violet Parr sat at a picnic table in a park in the middle of Metroville, idly tracing the rim of her cup with her finger. Tony had stood her up again. Truthfully, she had seen it coming the moment she'd agreed to the date. Why did she do this? In the depths of her heart, Violet had a feeling that he was kissing some girl who he found more "interesting." She put the cup down and gazed off into the trees, playing with the collar of her lavender shirt semi-vacantly. What was she supposed to do now?

_I can entertain myself_, she thought with a smile. The picnic basket next to her beckoned, and if Tony wouldn't show up, good for him. Violet didn't need him anymore. A while ago, she wouldn't have thought that, but she also wasn't Invisigirl a while ago. Invisigirl wasn't just some slave to a crush. Invisigirl was a hero who could go on with her own life.

Violet glanced at the pastel blue cup and decided she wanted to try something new. She had never tried tea before, and ended up packing some... Maybe now was the time. Picking up the picnic basket, the cup, and her spirit, she went to go sit at a more cheery table, in the center of the park's flower garden. There were some tall trees surrounding the garden, and she had gotten to one of the only completely shaded areas in the park. In previous visits, the table hadn't been open.

Leaving it at that, Violet started the tea.


	2. Reprieve

Author's Note:

I kind of like how the prologue turned out but I might revise it later on. Not quite sure yet.

You may want to read the lyrics to "When The Day Met The Night" because it'll help with some understanding.

I took too long to get this up in my opinion, I don't know how long I've had most of it planned out.

* * *

When The Day Met The Night

Part One-Reprieve

The wind picked up and gently ruffled the redhead's hair. It wasn't up in its signature flame-style spikes, it hadn't been for six months. It was just kind of... there. He stopped for a while to think.

It took him a moment to realize where he was. He was in a park-one near the center of the town. He couldn't remember having been here often, maybe once or twice a decade and a half ago...

He tried to shake off the sharp, stabbing pains all over but, as usual, it did no good. They were still there, as always. It made it hard to focus.

He was near a garden of some sort, with a table in the center. There was a girl sitting at it. She had long, dark hair and looked vaguely familiar, but he couldn't figure out who it was through the haze of pain. She was drinking something... possibly coffee, or tea?

He stared for a while before she looked up.

As she looked up and saw someone watching her, she couldn't help but wonder-

Who was this guy?

She'd been getting the vibe that he was staring a while before she had looked up to confirm it. It was someone she somewhat recognized, but couldn't place... She really didn't have any clue who it was. But nevertheless, he did not look like he was in good condition.

Their eyes met. She knew those eyes. She had to find out who it was. She _had_ to.

Syndrome threw caution to the wind and spoke up.

"You look rather... er... lonely. Would you mind if I sat here and we talked a while?"

Violet remembered Tony, and responded, "So long as you don't break my heart or leave me here all alone, I don't see why not." She smiled.

"Thank you," he replied, and sat down across from her.

"So... what exactly do you want to talk about?"

"Well, if it's not too personal, I'd like to ask why you're all alone here. You looked like you were waiting for someone."

"I was..."

* * *

Violet was just about to ask why he was there when she spotted her mom's car at the edge of the park.

"Well, it was great talking to you, but like I said, I was supposed to have a date, so I should probably be getting home." She smiled. "Are you doing anything tomorrow?"

"No, not at all," he replied.

"Do you want to meet up again...?"

"Of course, that would be great." He grinned weakly.

"Same time, same place?" He nodded in response. She turned to leave when she stopped.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "I never caught your name."

Syndrome faltered. "It's... er... Buddy."

"I'm Violet." She waved and rushed off to her mother's car.

Buddy was then painfully aware of the silence. He also noticed that he didn't notice the pain as much when he had something else to think about. He had something he didn't have before now. He had to talk to Violet again. He had a reason, a will to live.

She was the glimpse of night in his never-ending day, a reprieve from the pain, a promise that there is an escape from this world; and if not for her he would've perished in the unrelenting light.

Buddy took this thought with him as he headed to the place he now called home.

* * *

"So how did your date go, Vi?" Helen asked. She had picked up Dash from a friend's house, and the park had happened to be on the way. Violet usually walked home.

"Tony stood me up again," Violet said cheerily.

"Oh Vi, it's-"

"I'm sick of him, so I'm going to break up with him."

"You sound really happy about this..." Dash piped up.

"That's because I met someone else I can talk to."

"That's great, Vi!" Helen exclaimed. "I'm glad to know you've got a new friend."

"I'm planning on meeting him again tomorrow."

Dash started snickering in the background.

"What's so funny?" she demanded.

"Violet's got a boyfriend, Violet's got a boyfriend...!" Dash chanted teasingly.

"Shut up, I just met him," she replied with a grin. She was happier than she had felt for a long time. No one had listened like Buddy had. He hadn't said much, but he looked like he was in really bad condition, so he had probably said as much as he dared. He seemed like he was holding it in, and Violet knew that when he was at least a little better, he was going to talk much, much more. It was the vibe he gave off.

Violet was grinning the entire ride home.

* * *

When Violet arrived the next afternoon with her picnic basket (which was still packed for two people), she found Buddy already waiting for her. "How long have you been here?" she inquired as she began to unpack some food for the both of them.

"Not long, maybe ten minutes. I didn't want to be late."

"Why?"

"You asked me not to leave you all alone here. I keep my promises."

"That's nice of you," she replied with a smile. "Now I was just wondering some things about yesterday, like why you were here."

"Oh, well... I was feeling really sick and I wanted to look for a nice place to rest."

_Nice metaphor for trying to figure out where to die, Buddy. _Buddy's evil side laughed deep inside the recesses of his mind.

_Shut up, Syndrome, _he replied. _She doesn't need to know that I-we're dying._

_Whatever._

"Oh," Violet replied. "And that was with me?"

Buddy blinked, snapping out of his mental argument. "Y-yeah," he stammered, taken by surprise. "You looked like a nice girl, and you looked lonely. I thought you'd need some company."

Violet smiled. "You were right..."

Buddy grinned. "It's a common occurrence," he replied, with a hint of smugness that had been buried six months ago, now rising to the surface once more.

She laughed. Her laugh was delicate, much like her appearance, but hinted at something more than fragility.

Violet's laughter was contagious, and soon Buddy found himself laughing as well.

* * *

Some great fanart of the last scene was done by my good friend and reviewer Shahrezad1. So go look at it. The link's on my profile page at the bottom.

Synlet action continues next chapter. This originally had a bit more on it but I took it off in favor of adding it to the next chapter.

Read (well, you probably already did) and review!

Dani


	3. Symbiotic

Author's Note:

Yeesh, this chapter is way longer than the other two. Spent all last night writing it though. It was part of the first chapter originally, but I revised it, and here we are.

* * *

When The Day Met The Night

Part Two-Symbiotic

"So, Buddy, I have to ask... you said you felt sick, and you certainly don't look very healthy, why is that?"

"Well... Six months ago, I was... in an accident," he replied.

_An accident. Riiiight. If that's what you call getting a car thrown at you and falling into a jet turbine._

Buddy frowned, and not just because of his smart-alecky alter-ego. He had just barely met her and already he didn't like lying to her. He didn't think she was lying to him, and it made him feel bad. Worse than killing countless Supers, in fact, but that was behind him (and as Syndrome, he had rarely felt remorse anyway).

"Oh, I'm sorry," Violet replied, and put her hand on his.

"Ouch!" he yelped, and pulled his hand back. "Sorry," he started, not wanting to make her feel bad. "I'm still in a lot of pain... though there's no way you could've known that."

"I do now... Anyway, you seem a bit down."

"Well... truthfully, I'm not doing so well."

_Go on, make my day. Tell her you're dying. I want to see her face-_

_Shut up._

"Oh... what do you mean?"

"I spent the last six months in the hospital, three of which were comatose. They didn't think I'd wake up, and I'm still in a lot of pain..."

"Your injuries must've been horrible..."

"Well, truthfully, I think I deserved it now."

"Come on, you couldn't have been that bad..."

"I was. Never seek revenge, Violet, I'd hate to see something like this happen to you. I was lucky to survive. You're more frail... you probably wouldn't."

Violet blinked and replied, "You'd be surprised, I saved my family from dying a while ago after a long ordeal... You know, almost getting killed really brings a family together." She giggled.

"I can imagine... I've been completely cut off from my family for a long time... I had a girlfriend, but she betrayed me." He still seemed angry about it to Violet, and there was something odd about him not mentioning his family but for one statement. She pushed it to the back of her mind to bring up another time.

"Well, I won't betray you, no matter what." She held up her hand. "I promise."

"And I promise I will never stand you up unless I have a really, REALLY good reason, which I will be sure to tell you all about the day after."

"Pinky swear?" Violet asked, grinning childishly.

* * *

Three weeks later, the pain was a little less, much to Buddy's surprise, save for the day when the pain had been so great he couldn't even get out of bed (he was sure to tell Violet the first chance he got, and she understood and forgave him). He was just setting out for the park when he saw a car drive past his house containing Violet with some other very familiar faces in it. The most familiar was the Parr whose image was practically burned into Buddy's mind- Robert Parr, also known as Mr. Incredible.

"Oh, GO FIGURE," he yelled to himself, hitting himself on the forehead then crying out in pain. "Maybe she carpools with them," he mused, and set off anyway.

Meanwhile, the Parrs themselves were going to the store.

"Why do we have to go to the store?" Dash whined, but went unanswered.

"Bob, could you take Violet to the park? She meets someone there every day," Helen asked. "I have to get groceries."

He nodded. Dash started to sulk as he exited the car. He _hated_ getting groceries.

The ride to the park was almost completely silent, save for the questions that bubbled up in Bob's throat, but eventually went unasked. He sighed as she left and gave her a quick, fatherly hug before she ran off, basket in hand.

She smiled at Buddy as she approached, and waved at him as well. Removing a grilled cheese sandwich from the basket and handing it to him, she noticed he looked more solemn than usual. "What's wrong? You don't look very happy."

"Violet..." He paused. "Your last name doesn't happen to be Parr, does it?" he continued quietly.

Violet looked at him strangely. "Yes, it is... what's wrong with that?"

Buddy slammed his head on the table and released a bitter, humorless laugh before gritting his teeth in pain. "More than you could imagine." He began to curse quietly-it had been excessively stupid for him to hit his head on the table, something he normally wouldn't have considered. He didn't like pain. No one did as far as he knew.

"Why?" she asked simply.

He sighed faintly. He had fallen for her somewhere along the line, and even the knowledge that she was the daughter of his greatest nemesis didn't quite dissuade him. He sat up. "Violet... six months ago..."

"You were in an accident. You told me."

"No... you see, it wasn't quite an accident. It was intentional. Your... your father," he choked out. Trying to keep his emotions in check, he then continued. "Your father tried to kill me, and nearly succeeded."

"He wouldn't do that," she contradicted.

"Yes he would," he protested. "You don't know who I am."

"You're Buddy-"

"But do you know what that means?" he asked, more forcefully than usual. "If you don't know what I'm talking about... I'll elaborate. But you're going to hate me. You're never going to come back here. You'll betray me, and tell your parents... I've already proved that Murphy was right... I don't want to prove he was an optimist."

"Murphy...?"

"Murphy's Law. Everything that can go wrong WILL go wrong. In other words, the story of my life."

"Anyway, I want to know why my dad would try to kill you. Go on."

"Listen. I know everything your family went through six months ago, how you and your brother and mother were in a jet, and it was hit by missiles and crashed into the ocean... I know how you were all held captive, how you fought the giant robot that was destroying Metroville... I know how your baby brother was almost kidnapped... That's because I was responsible for all of that. I tried to kill your entire family... I probably haunt your nightmares. My name is Buddy Pine, but you probably know me as Syndrome."

Violet fell silent and tried to process this information a while, then gave up and began to speak.

"You're not Syndrome."

"What...?"

"Syndrome murders Supers. Buddy talks to lonely girls in the park. You were Syndrome six months ago. You're Buddy now. I know you're not faking it. If you were, you wouldn't be so attached. You would've just kidnapped me at the start. You wouldn't try anything in the condition you're in now. Trust me, I know these things... my mom knows a lot about villain psychology. You don't have to be Syndrome the rest of your life. I don't know if you're sorry for killing all those Supers, but the past is past, and it doesn't matter. My dad still thinks he killed you, and he's not sorry, not one bit. He wishes it could've gone another way, that we could've done something else, but he's not sorry. He never will be. It doesn't matter. What does matter is that people can change, and I think you already have. You've revealed your innermost self to me, you only lied once, and even that wasn't a true lie; usually you opted to simply not mention everything, just as I did. We had secrets that we couldn't share yet with normal people. You couldn't just tell some random sixteen-year-old girl that you were a mass murderer, and I couldn't tell someone that I was a Super if they didn't already know. It would be stupid. You act much different than you used to, that's why I don't feel in any danger right now, talking to you. You're not a childish villain bent on revenge because of something as petty as rejection. I can't see how anyone can be when they're in your condition anyway. What you _are_ is someone who desperately needs help, and are willing to help someone in exchange for their time. That someone is me. We can help each other. Did you know that most people don't even consider talking to me at school? They never have, even though I'm considered popular now. They don't think I'm interesting enough. I'm the invisible girl, just like I was before. You're different. You listen, and you relate... it's a symbiotic relationship. Both of us benefit from the other's company."

Buddy closed his eyes for a moment and let Violet's monologue set in. After several minutes of awkward silence, he looked up. "What are you leading up to?"

Violet blinked. "What do you mean?"

"That... you cut off in an unorthodox way for a monologue. You've got to be leading up to something. What is it...?"

"Well..." Violet faltered. "You listen like no one else... you just listened to me ramble for who knows how long without interrupting... and, well..."

"And what? Wait... you don't have to tell me if you don't want to..."

"Yes I do. If I don't, I feel like I'll die. Even though I know who you are now, my feelings haven't changed toward you, and... I think I've fallen for you, Buddy."

* * *

The next chapter might take quite a bit longer. I still have to figure out where this is going. I can't keep it mundane like this the whole time, now can I? *winks*

Read and review!

Dani


	4. Miscommunication

AN: I started this way sooner than I thought I would.

The Incredibles belongs to Pixar. But I'm planning on kidnapping Luxo in exchange for it. (By the way, you really shouldn't take me seriously when I say things like that. xD)

* * *

When The Day Met The Night

Part Three-Miscommunication

"Um, run that one by me again?" Buddy requested in disbelief.

"I have a crush on you… I'm crushing on a villain… I have to go now," Violet said, realizing the severity of the situation. She'd never give him away, no, but she just couldn't go on with this, the risks…

"Why? It's not near time yet, you only just got here… oh, I get it. You had a change of heart." His expression turned bitter as he continued. "Go on, then. Leave… leave me like Tony left you."

The former villain's words struck Violet hard. She couldn't do that to him. She couldn't do to him what Tony had done to her. It was vile, unforgivable… but she stood anyway.

"I can't risk it."

"You're not risking anything, I'll make sure of it."

"What if my parents find out?"

"They won't."

"Why are you so determined to keep me here?"

"Because I can't lose you… I can't. If I did, I don't know what I'd do…"

"Why don't you want to lose me?" she asked, though she already knew the answer.

"Because a girl like you is impossible to find." An awkward silence followed his statement. Eventually he began speaking again, much softer this time. Violet could barely make out his words.

"Violet?"

"Hm?" she asked.

"I-I don't quite know how this is going to work, but… I don't know."

_Coward._

"I don't get what you're trying to say."

"Violet, I… Listen, I'm not just saying this because you did, but-"

Violet interrupted him by standing.

He blinked at her. "Where are you going?"

"Nowhere." She pulled on his arm, signaling for him to stand as well.

He rose. "What are you doing?" He went unanswered, so he began repeating himself.

"Violet, what are you-"

"I think I get it now, I get what you're trying to say," she said, placing a finger on his lips.

He stared at her blankly. "What-"

She interrupted him again, this time with a kiss.

Buddy's eyes widened. He wasn't quite sure what was happening, nor was he sure that he could breathe. He forced himself to break away. Violet looked disheartened. "Oh…"

Buddy's face turned a deep shade of crimson. "Wait! No- that really _was_ what I was trying to say, but..."

She looked up. "But what?"

He chuckled a little. "I couldn't BREATHE!" he exclaimed comically, as he was prone to do.

Violet giggled in response.

* * *

"So, how did it go?" Bob asked, intrigued.

Violet blushed deeply. "Great, Dad."

"Good, good..."

"Dad?" Violet began.

"What?"

"Are you... sorry... that Syndrome died?"

Bob glanced at Violet, baffled. "Where did that come from...?"

"Well, see..." Violet began to improvise. "The guy I was talking to in the park... was there when Syndrome tried to stop the Omnidroid, and we were talking about him today... so I want to know if you regret that he died." There. She hadn't lied.

Bob sighed. "Vi, honey... I wish it could've gone another way, I wish he hadn't become a villain... he could've done so much to help people, but he didn't. He was too focused on revenge, and that ultimately led to his downfall. But... no. I don't regret it. He went too far. When he tried to kidnap Jack-Jack, your mother and I were so worried he was going to get away with it... I did the first thing that came to mind. It's a Super instinct. We don't really like to kill villains, but if they're a great enough threat..."

Violet nodded. "What would you do if he was alive?"

He blinked at her in the rearview mirror.

"What?" she asked innocently. "It came up."

"Well..." Bob hesitated and subconsciously gripped the steering wheel a bit tighter as they waited at the stoplight, leaving handprints as he often did. "I don't know, Vi. It really all depends on if he found us. If he tried to take one of you away from me and your mom..." His expression changed to one of pure anger. "I'd kill him so thoroughly that nothing remained."

Violet inhaled slightly more sharply than normal, but her father didn't notice. "In a completely theoretical situation... what if he... um..."

"Oh," Bob said, raising his voice slightly. "I think I get what you're trying to say. In that case, I'd do the same." The car stopped as he parked it and turned off the engine.

Unfortunately, Bob _didn't_ understand what Violet was trying to convey, that is, 'what if he turned good and I fell in love with him,' instead of 'what if he tried the same thing all over again.' So, in response, Violet got the complete opposite of the answer she was hoping for.

Not comprehending the miscommunication, Violet raised her voice. "Oh, so that's how it is, huh?! You're not willing to give anyone a second chance? You're so set in your ways, Dad! You don't get it! You don't see that there's not just good guys and bad guys! There are shades of grey, too!" With that, she got out of the car as quickly as possible and ran inside toward her room, leaving a very confused Bob behind.

"What? That wasn't what I was saying at all..." Bob shook his head as he, too, entered the house.

* * *

Violet lay on her bed, sobbing. She hadn't realized how intolerant her father really was... and maybe, just maybe, Syndrome had a point trying to make everyone equal. After all, hadn't she always wanted to be normal? If her dad were normal, would he still be so narrow-minded about former villains, or just people in general?

Her dad did attempt to enter the room, but Violet had put a force field against the door. He wasn't getting in. There was nothing he could say to her that would make her feel better. Despite her best efforts, however, her mother still managed to slip through the crack between the door and the frame.

Returning to her normal shape, Helen Parr dusted herself off and laid a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "What's wrong, Vi?" she asked.

"You don't get it either, do you?!" Violet yelled. "You just don't understand that there's more than just heroes and villains! You're just like Dad! Go away!"

"Vi, honey, what are you talking about?" Helen inquired, confused.

"Just leave me alone!" Violet screeched.

Helen blinked at her daughter's sudden outburst. "Why are you acting like this? Did something happen with your friend at the park?"

"You could say that!"

"What happened?"

"I fell in love with him, Mom, okay?"

"Okay, now what's this about heroes and villains...?"

Violet took a deep breath. "He used to be a bad guy, mom..."

"Do you think he is now...?"

"Helen, don't tell her it's alright to fall for a villain! She'll get hurt!" Bob shouted through the door.

"Vi... your dad is kind of right, we just want what's best for you... and if he turns bad again, we don't want you getting hurt..."

"He won't! He's changed!"

"Violet, sometimes..."

"SHUT UP!" Violet pushed past her mom, opened the door, and ran past her dad, promptly turning invisible after doing so. She secretly thanked Edna for making other clothes that would turn invisible-it was times like these that she needed them. She then pulled out the small piece of paper with his phone number and address on it, given to her in case anything ever happened.

She pulled out her cell phone and dialed his number, making sure her parents weren't near.

"Hello...?" she heard from the other end, and sighed in relief. It really was him. "Buddy?"

"Who is it?"

"It's Violet."

"Oh!" He hadn't been expecting her, apparently. "Why are you calling...?"

"I need to come over ASAP. My dad..."

"He found out?!"

"Not exactly, but he said that he'd try to kill you if I fell for you, so I need to at least talk to you... is that okay?"

"...Yeah."

"Okay, I'll explain the entire story when I get over there. See you soon." She hung up and hoped silently that her parents hadn't heard any of the conversation.

Remaining invisible, she began to run down the streets toward his current residence.

* * *

"...and then I came here," Violet finished. Buddy looked perplexed. "Hmm. Well, I can't say as I'm surprised, but... I really didn't think that Elasti-I mean, your mom would take his side."

"Neither did I," she said, tears starting to form.

"Listen, Violet..." He closed his eyes. "We may... have to get away from here for a while... to give them some time to understand."

Violet stared at him but showed no signs of either accepting or rejecting the idea.

"Do you really love me?" She nodded.

"Then this sounds like the only choice... the only way we'll be able to be together is in secret. I have a car, but I'd prefer if you drive, assuming you're legal to do so, of course. See, I'm still on medications, and I... well... suffice it to say I'm not fit to drive."

Violet nodded. "When are we leaving, then?"

"Whenever you want, babe." He finally opened his eyes.

"I need to get some clothes for the trip... how much money do you have left?"

* * *

AN: Oooh, Buddy and Vi are gonna elooooope...

This was faster than I thought it would be. This chapter just kind of came to me. And now for Chapter 4, the one I've been waiting for.

WOW, I RHYMED TWICE! XP

Read and review!

Dani


	5. Meteor

AN: I honestly have no idea where this story is going. XD I guess we'll just have to see.

The Incredibles STILL belongs to Pixar. :( Also, the CD mentioned and the songs belong to the band who created them. If you don't know who they are, I can tell you, but that takes all the fun out of it. :P

* * *

When The Day Met The Night

Part Four-Meteor

Since the drive had begun, Buddy had done absolutely nothing save for put a CD into the car's CD player, stare out the passenger side window, and breathe, as far as Violet could tell. She wasn't even sure he'd blinked. Neither of them had spoken since the drive began, but they didn't need to. The music quite blatantly explained Buddy's feelings, and Violet's had been explained before they'd set off.

The keyboard loop playing in the current song continued as the lyrics began for the second time, as the drive had been so long that the entire CD had already played. She hadn't been paying attention the first time, but now she had nothing better to do.

"I close both locks below the window, I close both blinds and turn away, sometimes solutions aren't so simple, sometimes goodbye's the only way..." Violet blinked and glanced at Buddy, questioning the song choice before bringing her attention back to the road. The road was dark, the headlights on full blast, for no one really traveled this oddly unswerving road at night. Up ahead there were small signs of the morning ahead, but according to the green digital numbers glaring at her, the sun wasn't due to show for another fifteen minutes.

Violet wondered what was to happen to her, questioning where she was driving, where they were going. He'd programmed the GPS system to take her directly to their destination, but he hadn't told her where the GPS was taking her.

Once again, just as she did when they'd first begun preparations, Violet questioned why this was happening.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked almost rhetorically, as though she wasn't expecting the oddly silent ginger to respond. He twitched lightly, as though her soft voice had startled him.

"I'm not doing anything," he replied, then exhaled deeply. "This is what's best, for me, for you, for us..." Violet bit her lip as she shook her head lightly. A tear began to form in her eye. _Really? _she thought. _Because it really doesn't seem that way._

She became aware of the music once more. _Sometimes goodbye's the only way? What are you trying to pull?_ She looked down briefly, then shut her eyes. When she opened them, she found that tears were running down her face, and she began to sob.

The next thing that happened was she became aware of a lump in her throat, so many words she wanted to say... and so she began to shout them in her frustrated and disheartened state.

"What are you really trying to pull, Buddy? Is this some plot to kidnap me? And you're just making it worse by having me drive myself to my own fate? If it's not like that, it sure seems that way, because-"

"SHUT UP!" he roared, turning away from the window. "You KNOW that I'd never do that! You know exactly where we're going, somewhere away from your parents! You KNOW how little they understand, YOU KNOW THESE THINGS, VIOLET!"

"YOU SHUT UP!" she screeched in response, barely paying attention to the road. "That's not EXACTLY where we're going, Buddy! That's just a general idea! I need a location! WHERE ARE WE GOING?!"

"YOU DON'T NEED TO KNOW YET!"

"YES I DO!"

"It was going to be a _surprise,_ Vi! I believe knowing what's going to happen ruins the entire point!"

"Well, Mr. Buddy Pine, maybe I don't LIKE s_urprises! Maybe I like knowing where I'm going and what's happening to me!"_

"But we can't anymore!" His voice was growing hoarse, and it was clear that he hadn't shouted for quite a while. "From now on, we'll never really know what's coming around the corner! The NSA might come after us, who knows, we may even end up going back to Metroville at some point!"

"Buddy-"

"Violet, please." He almost seemed like he was begging. "Just trust me."

"Buddy, I can't trust you, you were a villain..."

"Then why are you here?"

Violet took a breath to retaliate, but her response died in her throat. She still couldn't decide whether or not to trust him, but... she would. If he later proved to be untrustworthy, well... she was a superhero, what could happen?

Violet unconsciously pressed harder on the gas pedal, since during their screaming match she hadn't paid any attention to how her foot was slowly letting up on the accelerator.

"You should call your parents when we get there..." he started. "Because even if they don't understand, they are your parents after all. And they'll want to know that you're safe."

Violet nodded, her eyes once again glued to the road. She felt him touch her shoulder gently, and she sighed.

"I'm sorry," Buddy said eventually, as the CD moved on to the next track, one of his personal theme songs.

He could barely tell that she had even heard him, but as she pushed on through the night, a pained expression crossed her face.

Up ahead, she managed to make out a curve on the approaching horizon. She leaned into the steering wheel and kept the speedometer practically glued to fifty-seven miles per hour.

* * *

It was night again. Buddy had told her that it would be better if they only traveled by night, so people wouldn't recognize them as easily. They had stopped at a hotel and slept most of the day, save for when Violet woke up in the middle of the afternoon and had a strange urge to play children's board games. Buddy, however, had been deeply asleep, due to the after-effects of his medication.

Violet stared ahead at the road, and barely noticed when Buddy poked her gently.

"Hmm?" she questioned.

"Pull over."

"Why?" she asked, gracing him with a fleeting glimpse of her confused expression, then turning to the highway once more.

"Just... please?" he asked. Violet sighed and let up on the gas while guiding the car onto the shoulder. Putting it in park and turning off the ignition, she stared at him, expecting an answer.

"We need to get out now, it's going to start in less than a minute." He exited the car and motioned for her to do the same.

She left the car and found him lying on the grass in the ditch. "Come on, it's about to start!" She looked at him strangely, but did as he said anyway.

Not long after she looked up, a small pale streak shooting across the sky caught her attention. "A shooting star...?"

"Wait," was his only reply.

Not long after he spoke, the sky began to fill with tiny white flecks flashing across the darkness. She felt the beginnings of a grin start to creep up on her.

After a while, he sat up. "It's about over, you want to get back on the road?"

She sat up as well, then leaned over and hugged him tightly. "Buddy, that was amazing."

"Um..." He blushed. "Thanks."

Violet slowly let go of him and stood. Without another word, they both re-entered the car. Shortly afterword, it sped off into the night, carrying the couple to their faraway destination.

* * *

AN: This chapter was heavily influenced by "The Approaching Curve" by Rise Against. So yeah.

Dani


	6. Competition

AN: I have a general idea of where the story's going now. But this chapter? When I started writing it, I had no idea. It's supposed to be more of a transition than anything else.

I still don't own The Incredibles.

* * *

When The Day Met The Night

Part Five-Competition

_For the record, I officially have no idea what I'm doing, _Buddy thought miserably. _I've long since forgotten where we were going... and I can't keep this up forever. I wonder...?_

"Violet?"

"Hm?"

"Do you suppose you could... call your parents... and ask them if they've changed...?"

"I could. Do you really think it's a good idea?"

"Well..."

"You don't know where we're going, do you?"

"How did you-"

"You said it was a surprise. And now you want me to call my parents and ask if I can come back in order to weasel your way out of it." She giggled. "You're tricky, Buddy, but not tricky enough."

Violet was suddenly interrupted by a loud grumbling noise. "Was that you?" she asked.

Buddy shook his head. "Not exactly..." He poked his stomach. "I think that was it, though."

Violet's stomach growled in response.

"I think they're conspiring against us," Buddy remarked.

"Agreed. Let's satiate them with some... Italian food?" She saw an Italian restaurant up ahead.

"Sounds good to me."

* * *

"Why did we only get one plate, again?" Buddy asked.

"We get free breadsticks."

"Oh."

"So..." Violet grabbed a breadstick. "Now what?" she asked, and began gnawing on the end.

"Um... I don't know, you could call your parents soon and tell them you're coming back..."

"That completely defeats the purpose of running away, though."

"Where else do we have to go? You could just spend most of your time at my house, or something."

Violet sighed. "I guess." The spaghetti arrived on their table.

Violet looked over at Buddy, who looked almost as though he were about to murder the spaghetti with his fork.

_Like he murdered Supers,_ Violet thought, then shook the thought away and set down her breadstick.

With just a glance, they both knew if they didn't start eating, one of two things would happen: either the other would eat it all, or they'd stay here in a stalemate until it got cold.

Violet's fork began twirling around the spaghetti before Buddy could even react, and by the time he'd begun to try and make up for the lost time, she'd already gotten two forkfuls worth of spaghetti into her mouth.

Cursing mentally, he attempted to eat faster, but ended up choking a bit and stopped.

Violet halted her progress. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah," he stammered, more than a little shaken. "Guess I shouldn't eat that fast, huh?"

"Probably." She giggled and began twirling more pasta around her fork, slower this time. "You have a very competitive nature, don't you?"

"A little," he replied and coughed. "Note to self, never do that again."

"How long is that note?"

"Huh?"

"Your 'note to self'."

"What, you mean the list of all the things I have to remember never to do again? It's pretty long. Although topping off the list is wearing a cape. Right under that is kidnapping babies." He chuckled and actually managed to eat some of the spaghetti this time, as opposed to inhaling it.

Violet looked down at her fork and realized that she'd been twirling absentmindedly for quite a while and that the pile of spaghetti on her fork was... a pile. She shook off a little and ate the rest.

Buddy noticed that one of the strands of spaghetti she had on her fork was trailing off from the rest. When she wasn't looking, he swiftly delivered the end into his mouth.

_What are you doing, Buddy? That's completely illogical, she's going to eat it._

_That's the point._

_You're not going to try THAT, are you?_

_It worked in "The Lady And The Tramp," didn't it? If dogs can do it, so can humans._

Unfortunately for Buddy, once she ate the piece, she bit down on that same strand and severed it in half, leaving Buddy with a long piece of spaghetti dangling out of his mouth. And it just so happened that Violet looked back at him at that very moment.

"What are you _doing,_ Buddy?"

"Um..." He blinked and scooped the strand into his mouth with his fork. After chewing and swallowing, he grinned sheepishly and shrugged.

_Loser._

_Shut UP, Syndrome._

_You know it's true. You're a loser. Live with it._

_Why won't you just shut your trap already? What is your problem?_

"Buddy?" Violet asked with a quizzical expression.

"Huh?" he asked, startled.

"Were you talking to yourself?"

"Um... kind of...?"

"Why did you call yourself Syndrome?"

"Oh... um... well..."

"He's still in there somewhere, isn't he?" she asked.

He gulped slightly and nodded.

"That's fine."

"Wait, what?"

"For one, you told Syndrome to shut up, and you hadn't said anything, so at least you're not him... now anyway. And two, it's wrong to deny who you are."

"...Really?"

"That's what I think."

"Well-" Buddy started, then looked up toward the door.

"Well, Vi, we won't have to call your parents," he said nervously.

"Why?"

"Because they've come looking for you themselves."

* * *

MWAHAHAHAHAH CLIFFHANGER OF DOOM!

Don't worry. I know the plot from here on out. This was the last chapter I didn't know how to write... but I was inspired by my lunch of noodles. Review!

Dani


	7. Argument

AN: Remember when I assured you that I knew where the story was going last chapter? ...I lied. ^^; I have a general idea now but that idea is greatly subject to change.

I still don't own The Incredibles.

Also, the city mentioned here is not where I live. I've just been there a lot. So naturally I know the area quite well. XD

I realize that this is really soon after my last chapter, like really REALLY soon, but I was really inspired by the gift-picture-fanart I got for this fanfiction. You can find the link at the bottom of my profile. But anyway. I was really inspired and I wrote two chapters. I'm going to be gone a lot of July, anyway.

* * *

When The Day Met The Night

Part Six-Argument

Sure enough, the two adults of the Parr family were walking through the door, scanning the restaurant for someone, presumably Violet. "Maybe they're just looking for a seat...?" Violet mused hopefully.

"As far east as we are? No. That's highly unlikely."

"Well, how far east ARE we, Buddy?"

"Um... last sign I remember seeing was a leaving Nebraska one."

"Have we been going straight east?"

"Not straight east, but mostly east, yeah. East since... probably Colorado?"

"Are you telling me... that we are in Iowa?"

"Ssh. We need to sneak out before your parents see us."

"How... how did they find us?"

"Don't ask me."

"Where were we during the meteor shower?"

"Wyoming. Ssh."

Buddy looked over at the Parrs, who were still scanning the area. "Duck down." Violet complied and they sat for a while, silent. Finally the Parrs left and Buddy looked out the window from their booth. They'd headed toward the office supply store across the parking lot. Buddy blinked several times, waiting. Once he'd given them sufficient time to get into the the other store, he pulled on Violet's sleeve, signaling for them to go. They practically jumped into the car and Violet took off.

After they'd left the town (apparently called Fort Dodge) Violet began to scream.

"IOWA, BUDDY? WHY WERE WE GOING TO IOWA?!"

"We weren't..."

"Where was the GPS programmed for?"

"I... wanted us to be as far away from your parents as possible... so..."

"Where, Buddy, I need a location."

"Maine."

"MAINE?!"

"Yeah, Maine! It seemed like a good idea at the time! Kind of like..."

"What?"

"N-never mind."

"What, Buddy?!"

"I said never mind, you aren't going to like it!"

"I don't care! I want to know!"

"I was going to say, it seemed like a good idea at the time, kind of like dating you! Happy now?"

Violet blinked, dumbstruck. "I..."

"I didn't say it for a reason, see?"

Tears began to well up in Violet's eyes. "I didn't think you were... regretting..." The tears overflowed and began to spill out into the air and down onto her pants. Each soft splatter of liquid falling rang through Buddy's ears as though it was the only thing he could hear, akin to a pin dropping in a completely silent room.

"Vi..."

"Don't. Just- just don't. Don't try to apologize, Buddy. I honestly thought..." She choked on her tears. "...that you loved me. That you weren't just like Tony."

Buddy twitched slightly, mouth agape. He tried to talk, to exclaim that he did love her, but he couldn't find the right words to describe it.

Syndrome, meanwhile, was laughing. Hard.

_It's the end of the road! She doesn't think you love her and you can't make her believe that you do! Game over, Buddy!_

"SHUT UP!" Buddy screamed aloud. "I HATE YOU, SO MUCH!"

Violet began to break down even further. "Well, gee, thanks for telling me now! I sure would've liked to have known that a while ago!"

_Now she thinks you're talking to her instead of me! Good going, loser, you've made this all the more entertaining for me!_

"MY LIFE IS NOT YOUR ENTERTAINMENT, SYNDROME!" Buddy shouted. "IF I DIE, YOU DO TOO! STOP TRYING TO RUIN EVERYTHING I'VE WORKED TO BUILD AFTER _YOU _SHOWED UP!"

"Buddy?!" Violet blinked. "What do you mean, if you die? What's going on?"

_Now she's found out! This just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it? Maybe YOU should be the one to shut up, at least if you want to stop amusing me!_

_SHUT UP! _Buddy roared with more mental force than he could ever remember having used against his mental nemesis. Syndrome was silenced, if only temporarily.

"Violet... I'm sorry... about everything... I love you... I really do... and I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..."

"What was that about dying, Buddy? Was it just a threat? What was it?"

"No..." he replied weakly. "Violet... I'm... dying. I've been dying since we met. Remember how I said I was looking for a good place to rest? That was a metaphor for finding somewhere to die."

"Buddy... no... you can't die, not now! Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"I felt so comfortable around you that I just... forgot most of the time. And I didn't want to put you through all that pain..."

"But I would've had to go through it eventually!"

"Not knowing that you're spending time with a man who could die at any minute now! You didn't have to go through that! But all thanks to our good old friend Syndrome, now you do!"

"Buddy... please, let's just not argue. Are you really going to die any minute...?"

"Not literally, no. But... probably anywhere from three days from now to two weeks from now... somewhere in there. Probably."

"Then... let's not waste what little time you have running."

Violet opened the door and got into the backseat. Buddy followed suit as she began to dial her mom's phone number.

"Mom? Yeah, it's Violet. We're on the side of the road. We've decided to stop running. I don't care if you're driving, we're in the backseat right now anyway. No, of course we weren't! It... it's not like that! Mom! Please, listen to me! He's not like that! You'll see he's changed! Okay? Goodbye." She hung up.

"Buddy..." She flung her arms around him and began to sob. "You can't die, I love you, I don't want you to die!"

"I don't want to die either, not anymore..."

"You did before?"

"I was in so much pain that I just wanted it to get over with... but not since I met you..."

"Buddy..." She continued bawling as the Incredibile pulled up behind them and her mom entered the car. Helen looked back into the backseat and glared at Buddy. "Why is she crying?"

"It's a long story," Buddy replied.

"Who are you, then? I'm sure you can answer that. Violet's already mentioned you were a villain once, and you look familiar, but I'd like it if you'd tell me anyway."

"Well... I'm sure you remember what happened six months ago..."

"No... you can't be!"

"I'm afraid I am," he replied. "Buddy Pine. Formerly known as Syndrome."

* * *

I wrote this pretty fast, but I think it's better than the last chapter. o_O Review anyway.

Dani


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